The infrastructure for the work of NCCP is very important for the Awareness programs, Consultations, Seminars and Meetings. The proposed Ecumenical Centre shall meet all the requirements.
Aims & Objectives
The Aims & objectives of National Council of Churches in Pakistan were declared to represent organization of the evangelical Christian churches, missions and other Christian institutions in Pakistan , to help form public opinion through consultations. To work in solidarity with World Council of Churches and above all National Council of Churches in Pakistan is dedicated to build up the educational, moral, spiritual and physical well- being of the Christian community in Pakistan.
New Appointments
After the sad demise of former Executive Secretary Mr. Samuel K. Gill during a gap of two and a half-year, different people led the National Council of Churches in Pakistan . Under the new leadership of Mr. Victor Azariah, the challenge to make this institution an effective organ for the churches in Pakistan accepted boldly.
With all this in mind, Communication Desk, NCC-Pakistan started its News bulletin in Urdu as well as in English to make sure that the people in Pakistan & abroad should know about the NCC-Pakistan activities, for this NCC-Pakistan secured the services of Mrs. Victoria Patrick Professor, Kinnard College, Lahore as editor for Urdu News Bulletin & Mr. Emmanuel Zafer, Advocate for English News Bulletin.
Visible Achievements
The NCC-Pakistan House which was in a very precarious and depilated condition; it was repaired and restored the building in serviceable condition.
Now the entire building of NCCP is renovated, the garage, servant quarters were also repaired and renovated. The water, gas and electricity system was replaced with the new one. The garden and greenery is restored in its required shape.
The staff looks more alive with proper job allocations, targets fixed and lead times defined. The office is equipped with the latest communication systems. The general condition of the building of National Council of Pakistan is now renovated and presentable.
Working Structure
1. Executive Committee
2. President
3. Two Vice-Presidents
4. Treasurer
5. Executive Secretary
6. Secretary for Sunday School and Christian Education
7. Secretary for Youth Desk
8. Secretary for Women's Desk
9. Secretary for Communication Desk
10. Accounts Office |
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The offices of the NCCP such as Women's, Youth, Sunday School/Christian Education and Communication Desk were housed in small unhygienic rooms, which give the impression of pigeonholes. The wooden beams and rafters were eaten by the white ants and the plasters of the walls had fallen and the bricks are full of salinity. These were also dangerous for health and life.
To improve the working as well as the image of the NCCP it was very important to develop the infra structure to provide a healthy, neat and clean environment to the workers.
The new management is very much focused on the needs of the community and keeping in view the present and future challenges of the community and Church development works, conference Ecumenical hall with decent capacity and rooms to accommodate the delegates is the need of the hour.
This plan is to facilitate the Church missions and Christian institutions in their policy and inter- activity period.
In the month of August 1999 a plan was presented to the Executive Committee for the construction of an Ecumenical Centre in place of the present office site, which shall have the following facilities to accelerate the work of NCC-Pakistan.
A. ON GROUND FLOOR:
Spacious Offices are required for
a. Youth Desk.
b. Women's Desk.
c. Sunday School/Christian Education.
d. Communication Desk.
e. Legal & Human Rights Desk.
f. Prisoners Ministry.
g. A library to stock all the Religious literature available for the use of the research workers.
h. Lobby, Kitchen, Wash rooms etc.
B. FIRST FLOOR:
a. Conference / Meeting Room
b. An Auditorium accommodating about 70 / 80 persons for meetings, Consultations and Seminars with facilities of Kitchen, Wash Rooms, Lobby, Sound System and Air Conditioning etc.
C. SECOND FLOOR:
Nine double beds room to provide accommodation to the visitors, delegates, resource persons etc. The new building shall be known as NCCP ECUMENICAL CENTRE and shall serve all the Member Churches , Para Church Organizations and affiliated bodies to be used for consultations, seminars, meeting etc. |
NCC-Pakistan Ecumenical Center |
A healthy environment is very important for the offices to promote the work of Awareness, Education, Legal and Human Rights particularly in the area of Women Concern's, Children, Youth and Minorities. The foundation stone of the building shall be laid by all Head of the Member Churches to demonstrate Christian solidarity.
Literacy drive
Education is a process of articulating and giving meaning to social reality.
Growing poverty and unemployment has aggravated the situation and has increased the number of illiterate persons in the Country. The literacy rate as visualized cautiously is not more then 13%.
The National Council of Churches in Pakistan feels that there is an urgent need for pooling the National resources and recasting the pattern of priorities and there is a genuine requirement for a strong and unemployment stress. Having focused upon such vision, Literacy Drive Campaign has started from the month of August, 99.
Keeping in mind the urgency of the problem of illiteracy, National Council of Churches in Pakistan is heading forward with a vision to eliminate and eradicate illiteracy amongst the children of less privileged families.
Considering that effective elimination of illiteracy, this requires immediate and comprehensive action, taking in account the importance of free basic education and the need to unburden the families from VISION (Ecumenical center).
GENERATING RESOURCES
The success of any program rests on the availability of resources matching the vision National Council of Churches in Pakistan has decided to take up issues that are most urgent, most important and which touch the grass root levels of our community.
This Literacy Drive Program is the brainchild of our new leadership, who has vision and dedication to motivate his entire staff and influence resourceful people, senior friends to actively participate in this Literacy Drive . People understand this issue and urgency of this Drive because the next generation of these under privileged children needs a helping hand.
With the Literacy Drive, we are making a solemn pledge with ourselves and with each other that we take at least one such child under our wing and promise to give basic education.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership fee is initially Pak Rs.1000-00 and monthly donation of Pak Rs.500-00 for one child. The committee aims to see that a child gets the basic required resources i-e books, uniform hostel and tuition fee and at least a glass of milk.
Visitors from abroad visited NCC-Pakistan
a) Visitors from CWS-USA
b) Rev. Joseph.P. Widyatmadja, Executive Secretary URM CCA
c) Miss. Gabriel Culliain, Secretary for Development NCC-Australia
d) Rev. G. Rossee, Consultant Relief Fund Commendation - Netherlands
Brief working of NCCP Office
a) Paper's Submission by General Secretary NCCP to the Government for Christian Marriage Act and duel vote of Minorities in General Election.
b) General Secretary NCCP Mr. Victor Azariah was appointed as member of Minority Advisory Council Govt. of Punjab.
c) General Secretary wrote a letter to Chairman Board of Secondary Education Lahore asking to add Hebrew and Greek in the syllabus for Intermediate Examination.
d) General Secretary wrote a letter to I.G. Punjab for the Christian education for Prisoners.
Aims & Objectives of Women concern desk
a) Strengthening the net work and ecumenical concern among women in the member International Councils, local Churches, NGO's and the existing women's groups.
b) Raising awareness in educational programs through campaigns, to express and share their feelings through various forms (poems, articles, essays)
c) To organize issue oriented consultations on national and international levels.
d) Follow up programs for action plans, implementations and recommendations for concerned Churches.
e) Workshops on crucial concerns and issues relating to human relationship. Gender relationship in the family, society and church for all age groups.
Report of Women Desk 1999/2000
For the re-establishment of Women's Desk of NCC-Pakistan, we had women meetings on several occasions. (7th May, 99 - 1st July, 99 - 4th July, 99 - 7th Feb, 2000 - 31st March, 2000 –5thApril, 2000) In which we got many new ideas for the smooth running of the desk. The following are the recommendations of the Women's Concern Committee:
• For World Day of Prayer.
• To open separate Bank Account for this desk.
• To work together for Peace.
• Women's camps and Workshops for awareness programs.
Now the NCC-Pakistan is promoting work on basis of these recommendations. We are happy that NCCP is in a position to re-establish the Women Concern Desk.
Aims & Objectives of Youth Desk
* Bridging the gap between the Church & the Youth.
* To aware and train the Youth about the impacts of the globalization.
* Open & strengthening linkages with Church related and secular Youth groups & movements at the grassroots level.
* To develop Youth leadership and train them for Community uplifting.
* To establish a meaningful & effective relationship with God.
* To strengthen the idea of gender partnership.
Report of Youth Desk 1999/2000
The achievements for Youth, we had Leadership Training Program, National Consultation and Regional Youth Workshop. Through these programs we were able to make strong Youth networking and establishment of some new youth groups in different places. The details of these programs are as follow:
01- Sewing Center .
02- Employment Cell.
03- Programs of Youth Desk:
The theme for the year was “Hope in Darkness”. It was discussed by different resource persons. They were 13 in number and chosen from the secular and religious background. They were very knowledgeable in their own fields. 93 participants attended these programs, held in Khanspur, Karachi and Thandiani.
Dates and Names of Programs:
01. National Youth Consultation 05th - 11th July, 99
02. Leadership Training Program 12th - 17th Sep, 99
03. Regional Youth Workshop 04th - 07th Nov, 99
Aims & Objectives of Sunday school Desk
01. To develop Christ like character.
02. To make them realize the need and importance of the teaching of Christ.
03. To make them strong in their faith, as we are aware of the fact that revival of faith is essential for human's survival.
04. To enable them to commit themselves to the will of God.
05. To enable them to be obedient, loyal and faithful to the work of God.
06. To make them realize that the Word of God is light and there is an everlasting life in this light.
07. To make them to commit their lives for the growth and expansion of the Church, which is the body of Christ.
08. To make them mentally, physically and spiritually strong as future Church Leaders.
09. We know immediately from the Word of God that we have been born again and that our Sins have been forgiven.
10. God is Holy as well as Kind. No Sin can come into His presence.
11. God wants His children to grow. We grow
a) By reading of the Holy Bible.
b) By Praying to Him.
c) By going to His house to worship.
d) By telling others about Him.
12. When we receive Him. He gives us a wonderful gift, the gift of eternally life.
Aims & Objectives of Communication Desk
Communication Desk, NCC-Pakistan works for the integrated development of the person's mind, body and spirit. Communication Desk commits itself to liberate people from the shackles of oppression and exploitation by: -
• Creating opportunities for enhancing abilities of individuals to discover the fullness of life.
• Providing opportunities to different awareness programs.
• Developing skills and abilities of the poor to increase productively through training and Consultations.
• Assisting the deprived and oppressed to experience the love of God.
• Becoming a prophetic instrument for the transformation of the Pakistani society.
Report of Communication Desk 1999/2000
Communication Desk NCCP published the books of World Day of Prayer by its own resources. Now Communication Desk reprinting the book for Prison Ministry with new edition. All Christian Programs on Media were prepared and performed by Communication Desk NCCP. |
